Strong opponents and demanding challenges await Dinamo's squad in the continuation of the European season. The Maksimir club learned their opponents in the Europa League league phase during Friday's draw in Nyon. The Blues will host Bayer Leverkusen, Belgian side Anderlecht, Austrian club Sturm and Dutch side NEC Nijmegen at home, while their away opponents will be French club Rennes, English side Sunderland, Israeli club Hapoel Beer Sheva and Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. UEFA will define the exact match dates on Sunday.

This season marks the 22nd time in history that Dinamo has secured a place in the group stage of UEFA competitions, including the 12th time in the league phase of the UEFA Cup or Europa League.

This format involves 36 clubs who will all form a single table, although not everyone will play against each other. Each participating club will play eight matches against eight different opponents - four at home and four away. So, for the first time in the history of European competitions, the draw has paired the Zagreb team with Bayer Leverkusen, AZ Alkmaar and Sunderland.

There are also former opponents of the Blues. Dinamo faced Anderlecht in the Europa League group stage in autumn 2009, suffering defeat at home but winning away, and faced the same opponent in the same competition in autumn 2018 when the Blues won in Zagreb and drew in Brussels.

In the era when the Europa League was still called the UEFA Cup and featured a single round-robin format in the group stage, Dinamo drew away against Rennes in autumn 2007, and a year later defeated NEC Nijmegen at home. The Blues faced Sturm in the Champions League group stage in 1999, winning 3-0 at Maksimir Stadium while the Austrians responded in Graz with a 1-0 victory. Hapoel Beer Sheva was an opponent in the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League in 2018 - Dinamo won the first match at home 5-0, while the return leg ended 2-2.